How Gordon Ramsay likes his eggs in the morning

This morning I’m having breakfast with Gordon Ramsay.

Now in my head, we’ll be breakfasting alone, all champagne and smoked salmon, while I dazzle him with my no nonsense gastronomic banter and insightful enthusiasm into his latest Cookalong project. In reality, however, he’s invited nine other journalists to his Camden restaurant where he’s going to try and teach them how to scramble eggs.

It’s 9am at the York and Albany restaurant and a cluster of journalists has gathered for a taster of Friday’s Cookalong launch where Gordon will unite the nation in a live three course cooking bonanza. Where Friday’s menu will feature salmon en croute with herbed new potatoes and garlic sautéed broccoli, we’re starting slowly and early with the breakfast in bed classic – smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

It’s sophisticated but it’s simple and everyone’s feeling confident that they’re up to the task. Everybody can scramble an egg, right? But it often comes down to individual taste and there’s some concern Gordon’s technique won’t be equal to personal style. “I hope he doesn’t do them too runny,” offers one worried writer, “I don’t like them runny.” “I like them with Parmesan,” offers another budding gastronome. Perhaps someone should take Gordon aside?

While I wait I take in the open kitchen of the recently renovated restaurant. There’s a shining throng of immaculate chefs, I count 10 at least, all calmly creating at their stations, carefully plucking parsley or chopping veg. Where’s the screaming head chef and cacophony of burning pans? Is this unnatural calm for Gordon’s benefit or are real pros really this chilled? I make more mess and clatter spreading my Marmite in the morning.

And then he’s here, trimmer than I’d expected but somehow seeming twice as big as everybody else in the kitchen. The other chefs never flinch. I hope they knew he was coming.

He’s teaching the journos in groups of three and the first trio assemble amid a barrage of banter: “We’ve got you a box to stand on,” Gordon tells one less than leggy reporter. “What do you mean it’s hot? It’s a f****** kitchen,” the onslaught continues.

But he’s a good teacher and after a few novel pointers (always use a dry pan, three eggs per person) the proud reporters are displaying their finished dishes in a matter of minutes.

Gordon’s version uses a spoon of crème fraiche stirred in at the end with a sprinkling of chopped chives and a delicate seasoning of salt and pepper. The remaining writers have a go and everyone is impressed. There’s been the odd bit of splash back and bit of blaming the stove –”I was on the end so mine didn’t cook as well,” but without exception the eggs look divine. “Don’t over work them because they become mushy,” comes Gordon’s advice, “and get it out of pan as soon as possible, those extra 30 seconds make a lot of difference.”

The hacks serve their scrambled goodies in the middle of some smoked salmon peaks and sit down to scoff their creations. It’s taken them all less than five minutes to whip up a meal worth paying for and that’s a skill they’ll take with them. “I know what everyone will be cooking this Saturday,” laughs one of the converts. And that’s what Cookalong is all about. Learning quick, simple recipes that are fun to cook and impressive to eat.

Now, I wonder if he does private lessons.

Find our more about the latest series of Cookalong Live.

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